The Beginning
by Katannaism
Summary: The first two recruitments at the Xavier Institute and how they met. Mainly JOTT fluffiness but more on the loving friendship kind of fluff. This dates back to the very beginning, when they were kids. [UNDER REVISION]
1. Scott Summers

**Note:** I do not own any of the characters stated (e.g.: Xavier, Scott, Jean…etc…) They all belong to Marvel Comics and Stan Lee. If there are any 'new' characters that aren't in the comic, movie, etc then they were just conjured up from my own imagination.

DO NOT SUE ME PLEASE! (cue Puss in Boots big eyes... O,O)

**Synopsis:** This chapter is about how Scott Summers/Cyclops started out. And how he got recruited.

(*_abcd_*)-telepathic speak | ("abcd")-normal speech | ('_abcd'_)-thoughts

**1 – Scott Summers**

**SCOTT'S POV**

"I'm a monster…" Scott Summers whispered to himself, while he was curled up in a ball in a dark alley somewhere in Westchester, New York. The autumn night air was cold and sharp as it whipped through the nine-year-olds' dark brown hair, causing more of his thick locks to fall in his face. His shirt and jeans was tattered in some places and his thin jacket wasn't enough to shield him from the icy cold breeze. Scott shivered as he blindly stood up and tried to walk again, his skinny legs barely holding up his weight, looking for food. Or garbage can. Anything… His stomach rumbled noisily, hinting at his hunger.

Everything was pitch black to the little thin boy. He then felt tears well up in his eyes as a wave of emotion overwhelmed him. Scott quickly placed his small hands over his face, feeling for the blindfold that was over his eyes. He had torn a piece of his already holey shirt to cover his eyes…

_'My_ e_yes…' _he had thought.

"Help me…" he croaked helplessly, feeling the mossy brick wall as he walked, his feet clumsily knocking over pieces of litter and scattering them around. The noise calmed him, in a way… It made him think that maybe there were people who could help him.

Scott stopped short as a realization dawned on him.

Nobody could help him, he thought.

Because he was a monster.

* * *

~_FLASHBACK~_

"Hey Summers!" One of the older orphans, eleven-year-old Tommy, called, running after him. "Scott! Where're you going?"

"Just a walk, Tom…" Scott mumbled, adjusting his jacket. The denim was thin, but he thought it would be enough to protect him from the autumn cold. Autumn was slowly coming to a close, making its curtain call for the coming winter, but Scott thought he could handle the chill.

"Now? Come on, the guys planned something really cool outside! Join us!" the other boy said excitedly, pulling Scott's arm enthusiastically. "It'll be great fun!"

But Scott pulled his arm away, wanting some time to himself… It had been five days since he came to the orphanage from the hospital… After knowing that he had lost both his parents and his younger brother, Alex in the recent plane crash. He wasn't really up for much 'fun'.

"I'd rather not… I won't do any justice for you guys… I just don't feel like it right now…" The nine-year-old said somberly. He shrugged Tommy off and continued his walk; he hadn't even left the curb yet.

"Come on, Summers!" Tommy said fiercely, yanking on Scott's arm harder, persistent and insisting.

Scott was about to really tell Tommy off. But before he could respond, a sharp stabbing pain shot into the back of his head suddenly, knocking him to his knees. His body crumpled onto the curb, as he clutched at his head and shrieked in pain.

"Scott? Scott! Are you alright?" Tommy asked, panicking quickly.

"ARGH!" Scott responded with a yell, as he lowered his head. It felt as if his skull was splitting into two. The pain then spread into his eyes, causing them to tear rapidly. He felt a wave of heat come over his eyes as he squeezed them closed, the pain was stinging them. as if someone had stabbed a dozen needles into each eyeball. Scott had never felt this much physical pain before. His whole body shook as his eyes were filled with nothing but pure agony.

"SCOTT!"

"Help me!" Scott screamed, turning towards Tommy and flashing his eyes open. But when he opened them, he felt the heat being replaced with a more bearable warmth. But all he saw was redness. Bright scarlet washed over everything his eyes laid on. He then saw Tommy being thrown off his feet screaming and smash into the orphanage home. The orphanage suddenly split into two. The loud, deafening noises of bricks crashing and wood splitting onto the ground followed by the sound of screams emanated from the scene frighteningly, nearly shaking the ground Scott was standing on. Scott then fell back onto the ground in shock and he felt as if his eyes were projecting some sort of laser that he couldn't stop. The pain in his head started to melt away, but he quickly shut his eyes closed, and opened them again. As he feared, everything around him was tinted red. A big, fluffy cloud above him split into two, proving that the 'lasers' were still there. Scott shut them closed again and ran away from the demolished orphanage blindly, crying and yelling for help.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" Scott screamed helplessly, stumbling on his own feet. "I-I can't s-see! Help!"

But nobody tended to the distraught boy. Instead, he heard rapid footsteps and shouting, all heading towards the orphanage. He felt people pushing past him, making him fall onto the wet road. Scott shrieked when his arms and knees scratched painfully against the rough stones of the road. He dared not open his eyes. Running blindly, trying to feel his way around by smoothing his hands against the ground and crawling, the last things he heard were the cries of people, the honking of cars…

And the sound of his cries unanswered.

* * *

Two long days had passed since that accident. But at the thought of it, Scott started crying again, pulling his knees up to his chest as he fell onto the floor again, with his back against the wall. He could feel his weak ribs against his jeans clad thighs and he felt the dried wounds that marred his exposed knees. The smell of drains and smoke nauseated him, making him cough horribly.

"Help…" the boy sobbed, recalling how merely opening his eyes could cause destruction and disaster. Not to mention demolition to buildings as well. He felt cold and alone in his little alley, with nothing but rats and roaches as his company. His blindfold the only thing keeping him sane and others safe.

When Scott had managed to stop sniffling and sobbing, he heard the sound of wheels approaching him. Not the kinds on bicycles or cars. It sounded more mechanical… Like a wheelchair… But it didn't sound like the wheelchairs he was used to hearing. This one was different.

"Scott Summers?" A deep, calm, male voice suddenly said, making Scott flinch slightly. Scott didn't recognize this man's voice. But it was real. Afraid and shy, he simply nodded towards the direction where the voice was coming from.

"My name is Charles Xavier… I come from the Xavier Mansion Institute for the Gifted…" the man said, and Scott felt a warm hand touch his small right shoulder.

"What do you want from me?" the boy asked weakly, his throat raw and dry. "Nobody can help me… You have to leave…"

"I just want to help you…" the Charles Xavier man said again. "With your…gifts."

Scott gasped. "You m-mean…my…e-eyes?"

"Yes."

"NO!" Scott cried, his voice cracking as he quickly shot up. "Y-you can't! M-my eyes! They're-They're…"

"I know, Scott.," Charles said calmly. "They emit optic blasts, or beams. Very powerful things… I know about the orphanage…"

"WHO ARE YOU?" Scott shrieked, frightened as he tried to back away. But he couldn't see, and heard the wheels heading towards him again. "H-How do you know all this?"

*_Because I'm like you, Scott…_* the boy suddenly heard in his head and his body froze. It was that man's voice. But it felt like an echo in his head. *_I too, have these… powers. I am a telepath. But over time I have learned to control my abilities... As can you.*_

"W-Wha…" Scott stuttered, feeling his temples. "H-How?"

"I can help you…" Charles said, and Scott felt two hands on his blindfold.

"DON'T!" he yelled, stopping the hands.

"Just keep your eyes closed, son." Charles said calmly, and removed the blindfold, revealing Scott's closed eyes. He then felt Charles put something over them.

"Now, open."

"NO!"

"You have to trust me, Scott. Nothing bad will happen... Just open your eyes." Charles said.

Hesitantly, Scott trusted the man and slowly opened his eyes. Again, even in the night, everything was tinted a sheer shade of ruby red. But he realized he wasn't destroying anything. The walls and buildings around him were still intact. The boy turned his head to the right, and saw a bald man sitting in a mechanical wheelchair that looked like it was made of an advanced kind of technology. The man whom he presumed as Charles Xavier wore a black sweater with a dark grayish jacket and black slacks. On his face he had a calm and friendly smile. The first smile Scott had seen in over two days.

"H-HOW…" Scott gasped, feeling his heart thundering against his ribs.

"They're ruby-quartz shades, Scott. When I found you, I managed to fashion this accessory to neutralize your optic blasts. Besides them, you're the only thing immune to your powers." Charles explained.

Scott couldn't believe it. He could see... Sure, everything was tinted red... But...

_'I can see...'_

"Th-thank you!" Scott cried happily. He wasn't destroying anything and he could see. He threw his thin arms around Xavier's neck, tears spilling onto his cheeks. "THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. XAVIER!"

Charles smiled at the boy. "You can call me Professor. Now… if you don't mind… I would like you to come with me," he said. "To my home. The Institute. I would like to help you… And people like you."

"There are more of me? People like me? Or you? With powers?" Scott gasped hoarsely, his eyes widening behind his new shades.

Professor Xavier nodded. "Yes. But I have yet to find them. If you come with me, I can help you learn how to use your powers. Control them. Like how I learned to control my telepathic abilities. Let me help you, Scott."

Without hesitation, Scott nodded. He had a feeling that this… Professor Charles Xavier could somehow help him. He managed to help him see again. Scott decided to rather wear ruby quartz shades for the rest of his life than be a wandering, lost boy with destructive eyes and no future. What did he had to lose?

Within minutes, the Professor had guided young Scott into a dark black car with tinted windows. Scott helped the Professor to get into the passenger seat. He then clambered into the backseat, and saw that the driver of the car was a woman. Even through the sheer red tint of his shades, he could see that this woman had coffee colored skin and long white hair. The woman turned to face Scott, her full lips stretched into a kind and warm smile.

"Scott, I'd like you to meet Ororo Munroe." Professor X said, gesturing to the woman. "Or Storm, as you will come to know. She has the ability to control the weather."

"H-Hello…" Scott said to the woman, Ororo.

"Hello, Scott. It's very nice to meet you…" she said, her voice calm and soothing. Scott wondered how Professor X had found Ororo, but he knew that would mean prying into other people's lives. People which he didn't know that well yet.

"You can rest now, Scott." Professor X assured him. "We're merely going to Westchester County. To my home. To _your_ new home."

That struck a memory in Scott's head.

"The orphanage!" he yelped, panicking, but Professor X held up a hand to stop him.

"All taken care of, Scott. Do not worry," he said reassuringly. "You can start anew in my Institute. A new life."

Scott nodded, and relaxed a little. He then calmed down and leaned back against the smooth leather of the car seat. Before he knew it, he had fallen into a deep sleep. Sleep that he hadn't been able to have for two days straight.

* * *

Read and review! And hopefully enjoy!

_'Waves a sign back and forth that says 'REVIEW!' '_

_-Jenna_


	2. First Meeting

**Note: **Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! Here's chapter 2. In truth I'm not very clear on both Jean or Scott's actual pasts due to different sources so please x5 bear with me~

**Synopsis: **Scott adjusts himself to the Xavier Institute and learns about how he was found. And Xavier introduces him to a very special mutant called Jean Grey.

**2 – First Meeting **

**SCOTT'S POV**

Scott was brought to the Xavier Institute not long after he had fallen asleep in the car. Professor X had waked him up to let him know of his new home. It was a large, expensive looking Mansion surrounded by tall, strong iron gates. He gaped in awe as he saw the wide open courtyard space and the magnificent estate that was surrounded by lots of tall trees and grass.

"Wow…" he gasped, pressing his face against the car window to get a better look as Ororo parked the car.

* * *

Once inside, Scott couldn't believe his luck. It was like stepping into a Duke's home, especially in his eyes that had so far seen nothing but tragedy. Ororo smiled at the boy, and led him in, with the Professor following closely behind.

"This is your room, Scott. Do make yourself comfortable…This is your home now." Ororo had told him after leading him up a flight of stairs into an entire floor that looked like a dormitory corridor. They had stopped in front of one of the many doors which was now his very own room. Scott wished he could see how his room looked like in color but to him everything looked as if they were bleeding. Nevertheless, he was still excited about the whole thing.

"Thank you, Ms. Munroe…" Scott said softly, looking at the comfortable bed that had been prepared for him, feeling thankful that he didn't have to sleep in the streets again.

"Call me Ororo, dear," Ororo said, ruffling the boy's hair gently, and walked off, leaving Scott to himself. "The kitchen's downstairs. Explore if you wish but make sure you let me, the professor or Mr. McCoy know."

'_Who's Mr. McCoy?' _Scott thought, but he didn't care. The first thing he did was dart to the bathroom to clean himself up. After drawing his bath, he nearly cannonball-ed himself into the suds. The warm water felt good against his chilled and wounded skin. The smell of soap was definitely more preferable than garbage cans and drains. Washing away the two day's worth of blood and dirt, he finally felt as if he were really at home.

Scott was utterly surprised when he found fresh, clean clothes that were just about his size. He picked out a dark gray T-shirt and a pair of beige sweatpants to wear. His stomach rumbled in protest as he bounded down the stairs to search for the kitchen.

Suddenly, he saw a large, almost ape-like figure in front of him when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He was dark blue and furry all over. The beast then turned around and saw Scott, who immediately tensed up. But instead of a ferocious outlook, this… beast had a kind smile on his face. And he was wearing a normal crew neck T-shirt and pants.

"Ah, you must be Scott Summers," the beast said, his English articulate and impeccable. Scott stared at the blue beast and nodded slowly. Half of him wanted to run out of the Mansion, but half of him wanted to know…

Was he, in a way, like him too?

"I'm Mr. Hank McCoy, nice to meet you, son." The beast said, stretching out a large, furry hand. Scott slowly shook it, as his fear for the large beast slowly disappeared. He could see that this beast's hand had short claws instead of human nails.

"Where's the kitchen, Mr.…. McCoy?" Scott asked meekly. Mr. McCoy then smiled and gestured at him to follow as he walked through a wide, hallowed corridor.

Scott thought he was going to drool on the floor when he smelled something like… roast chicken…and garlic.

"Hello, Scott. Feeling any better?" Professor X asked when Scott and Mr. McCoy had entered the presumed kitchen. "Ah, I see you have met Mr. Hank McCoy."

"A fine young man he is, Charles," Mr. McCoy said. "A little slim but that can be easily fixed."

Scott blushed and sat down in one of the plastic chairs that surrounded what looked like a dining table. Ororo was on the stove with an active oven. She looked like she was boiling water.

"Well, Hank, I trust that you and Ororo will help Scott get used to his new surroundings…" Professor X said, sipping a cup of tea. Scott watched blankly as the professor steeped the tea bag in and out of his cup.

Ororo then set a large plate in front of him. Roast chicken with garlic potatoes. Scott thought he had died and gone to Heaven. Without any hesitation, he dug into the food and ate ravenously like a savage. Ororo and the professor chuckled lightly at the overjoyed boy.

After dinner, Scott felt much better and decided to explore the Mansion for a while before he went to bed. He came across a peculiar looking metal door. It was larger, taller and wider than any of the other generic wooden doors. The shape was also more on the circular side. It also had a large 'X' on it. The 'X' was surrounded within two circles, with one bigger than the other. Scott supposed the 'X' must've stood for 'Xavier'.

"I see you have found Cerebro," the professor said, wheeling up beside Scott.

"Cerebro, professor?"

"Yes. Come, let me show you…" the professor replied, and punched in some numbers like a password on a screen that was on the metallic wall next to the large door. The Professor also did some odd facial recognition scanning until a voice welcoming 'Charles Xavier' sounded off. When the doors opened, Scott followed the professor into a large, almost empty, metallic and also circular room. There was only one path that was connected to the doorway, and it led up to an odd looking machine that was only supported by the pathway. The entire pathway was in the air. Scott had to be careful as not to fall off the path.

"Cerebro is a device that amplifies the brainwaves and the machine that helps me to find mutants. People, like you, with powers." Professor X explained, gesturing to the machine. The machine was connected to a weird looking almost 'M' shaped helmet that was sitting on it. "That is how I found you. But I can only locate the mutants when they use their powers."

Scott nodded, finally understanding how the professor had managed to find him. He had used his…powers. But he had just gotten them at the time.

"How come I'm the only one here?" Scott asked the professor shyly. Even behind his dark shades, Professor X could see that the boy was feeling lonely judging from his saddened eyes. He then stroked his chin for a while, deep in thought as Scott waited anxiously for the professor to answer.

"You know what, sleep now and get up early tomorrow." The professor finally said. "I'd like you to take you somewhere."

"Where?"

"Get some rest and you'll find out tomorrow, my boy." Charles said, with a knowing smile, and wheeled off with Scott following not long after.

The next morning, Scott was excited and impatient. He wanted to know where the professor was taking him.

"Another mutant?" Scott asked the professor in the kitchen during breakfast.

"Yes, Scott." Professor X replied. "But I have known this mutant for quite a long while. She's about your age Scott. Nine, if I have not mistaken. The reason I have not brought her here is because of her father. But maybe if there is another young mutant here, I could convince her father to let her come."

Scott's eyebrows were immediately raised.

'_Another mutant… My age… Like me…'_

* * *

Scott sat in the back-seat of the car again, with Ororo driving and Professor X in the passenger seat. They were driving to that mutant's house that the professor had mentioned earlier that morning. To Scott, it looked like they were passing a very quaint and quiet neighbourhood. He thought that there was no way a mutant could live in such a peaceful place.

Finally, they reached a small house with a mailbox that had 'GREY' engraved on it.

Ororo had decided to wait by the car while the professor brought Scott to the house. He then rang the doorbell and waited. Scott suddenly felt odd and anxious. He could also feel some sort of energy…or an aura that was surrounding the conservative house.

A really tall, middle-aged man with graying hair and tired eyes then opened the door. Charles smiled at the man, and the man smiled back.

"Hello, John…" Professor X said, greeting the man while Scott simply smiled politely.

"Oh, Professor. Please, come in…"

Once inside, Scott saw a middle-aged woman sitting on a couch. She had middle-length hair and a slight scowl on her face. Sitting next to her was a younger girl who was most likely her daughter; she looked slightly older than Scott and also had middle length hair. The girl stared at the professor and Scott, and whispered something to her mother.

"Hello, Elaine." Professor X said to the woman and the girl. "Sara. Is Jean here?"

The woman… Elaine cast an icy glare towards the Professor, then she looked at her husband. But John didn't take any notice of his wife. Instead, he walked over to a small flight of stairs on his left.

"Jean? Come down, dear. Professor Xavier is here to see you." John called.

Scott kept his eyes on the stairs, as a small, shadowed figure started walking down the stairs quietly. But when the figure came into view, Scott's jaw dropped.

It was another little girl. But she looked younger than the one in the living room. Sara. This particular girl had long, fiery red hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. Even washed red behind his shades, Scott could see that this girl had piercing green eyes. She had a very sad, shy expression on her face. Her eyes were constantly looking at the ground. But Scott thought she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen.

But that wasn't what made Scott's jaw drop. It was what was happening around the little girl. Levitating, or floating around her were some books, pens and cassettes. It circled the slim girl seamlessly, as if they were orbiting around her.

Professor X wheeled closer towards the girl, and smiled at her kindly.

"Hello, Jean. How're you feeling?" he asked her. The girl smiled at the professor, but her smile dropped when she gestured to the levitating objects around her.

"JOHN!" Elaine gasped suddenly, pointing towards the window. Her face a mask of panic. Scott followed the woman's gaze and saw that some cars outside, including the Professor's, had been levitated up into the air. The cars were quickly followed by some potted plants and bicycles.

'_She's the mutant!' _Scott thought. When he turned back towards the Professor and the girl, Jean, he saw that she was staring at him with widened eyes. As if she knew something.

"Calm down, Jean… It's alright…" Charles said to the little girl, and placed his hands against Jean's temples. Slowly, the objects that had been levitating lowered themselves gently, returning to their proper places.

Elaine, Sara and John watched closely. And so did Scott. The Professor then turned towards Scott and the three Greys.

"Elaine, Sara, John… I'd like you to meet Scott Summers. One of my students." Professor X said, gesturing to Scott. Scott hesitantly waved at them and smiled politely with a brief bow of his head, hoping that they wouldn't question about his shades. "He has been recruited very recently into my Institute."

The Professor then turned to Scott. "Scott, _this _is Jean Grey." He said and beckoned the red haired girl to come closer. She walked meekly and clumsily, nearly tripping over herself. But she still managed to regain her composure.

"Hello…" the girl greeted Scott softly. She kept averting her gaze, as if she was trying hard to avoid all sorts of eye contact.

"Hi…" Scott replied, wondering about Jean and what else she could do.

Professor X smiled, then turned to face Jean's family.

"John, Elaine… I'd like to bring Jean to the Institute…" he said gently. "You know I cannot help her much if she stays here… I can help her control and cultivate her abilities. My once a week visits aren't enough."

John pondered at the thought while Elaine just spoke up immediately.

"Oh, please do!" she said sharply, glaring at the professor. "Our neighbors are already noticing how things act around her! You saw them! It'll be only a few days until she'll make the house float around!" Elaine then folded her arms across her chest with little Sara hiding behind her. "Even her own sister is afraid!"

Scott saw Jean bite her lower lip, and her whole body started trembling. She lowered her head, letting her thick red hair fall in her face. Suddenly, a nearby telephone started levitating. Followed by a stool… a few plates from the kitchen. Two full cups drifted around, shaking and spilling its contents. The objects circled around the girl recklessly and more quickly than the ones before. After a few seconds, they all crashed onto the floor.

"Elaine…" John chastised his wife, who simply looked away. He then turned towards the professor.

"She's our daughter, Charles…" he said sadly. "W-What if she gets hurt there? With all the other mutants? Other mutants could be after her! Like that Erik of yours!" John's voice was getting more frantic as he talked.

Professor X sighed heavily. "Yes, I know. Erik has been clear of wanting to 'have' Jean. But I can protect her better than you can. Especially at the Institute. There'll be mutants like her. Who can help. I can help her, John. She needs to learn how to control her powers!"

"John!" Elaine hissed at her husband, clearly wanting Jean to leave instead of having her thrashing her home. But before John could say anything, Jean walked over to her father and tugged at his polo shirt gently. John looked down at the little girl.

"Daddy…" she said softly. "I'd like to go with them…" John then scooped up his daughter and looked at her straight in the eye.

"Are you sure, Jean?" he asked quietly, obviously worried about his younger child. Jean nodded, her eyes glistening with tears. She then gave her father a small smile as she threw her arms around his neck lovingly. "Alright then…"

Scott smiled sadly. As did the Professor. Jean obviously didn't want to leave. But they knew that she had to.

Within minutes, Jean had already packed her things, preparing to leave for the Institute. Scott was already in the car with Ororo, waiting for the Professor and Jean.

Scott saw Jean kiss her father and mother goodbye, and hug her older sister Sara briefly. John had already started tearing up, but Elaine looked relieved as she didn't need to watch Jean 24/7 because of her powers. With their last goodbyes already said, Jean followed the Professor to the car and joined Scott in the backseat. She looked down at her feet, tears spilling onto her cheeks. Her bottom lip was quivering and her whole body shook mercilessly. A few whimpers escaped her lips but she dared not sob out loud. But thankfully, nothing was levitating around her.

Scott sympathized the lonely girl, and put his hand on her shoulder. Jean stopped shaking immediately, and her entire body froze. She then turned to look at Scott, who had a friendly smile on his face. Jean smiled back, and let her muscles relax, as Ororo revved up the engine and drove away from the Grey's residence, heading back to the Xavier Institute. On the way, Scott watched as Jean slowly stopped crying to herself and instead looked outside the window, obviously wondering where this road would take her.

* * *

Well! Hope ya'll enjoyed it! It's quite short for my preference but cross my fingers that it'll be alright~

R&R!

_***Waves arms back and forth* I wave my hands back and forth, I wave my hands back and forth...**_

_**For a review! ;)**_

_-Jenna_


	3. Getting To Know You

**Synopsis: **Scott tries to get to know Jean. But for some reason, Jean appears to prefer being alone… Or doe she?

**2 – Getting To Know You**

**JEAN'S POV**

"Well, Jean, I hope you will find yourself comfortable here." Professor X said to Jean after they had returned to the Institute. Ororo was helping Jean carry her small suitcase that contained some bits and pieces of the Grey residence.

Jean nodded quietly at the Professor and followed Ororo upstairs to get her a room. But as she walked, she could hear all the voices in her head… Never quieting… They were like soft echoes in her head. But the way the voices meshed together made her head ache slightly.

'_I'll have to start working with her tomorrow… Her mind is so unstable…' 'I wonder which room she'd be comfortable with… Maybe next to Scott's?' 'Charles should really introduce his new students to this furry being before anybody thinks I'm the blue Grinch…' 'Where is Ms. Munroe taking that Jean girl?' 'Right. I'll get her to create mental barriers first... Just to be safe...' 'Ororo better start dinner early today... I'm starving... Are there any leftovers?'_

Jean bit her lip as tears started welling up in her eyes again. She had been relaxed during the car ride to the Institute. Things had been quiet at the time. But now…everything was getting out of hand again.

_*Relax, Jean.* _she heard the Professor say to her telepathically. _*Just focus on what you have to do and calm down.*_

Following the professor's instructions, Jean sucked in a deep breath, filling up her small lungs and let it all out in one go. Slowly, her head began to clear. The voices stopped rushing through her head.

Finally…

* * *

"This is your room, Jean." Ororo said to her, opening a door for her. "If you need anything, just call for me or the Professor, alright? And if you see a blue furry person, that'll be Mr. Hank McCoy. You don't have to be afraid of him. He's one of us."

Jean nodded and took her suitcase from Ororo.

"Thank you…" she said quietly, and entered her room, her eyes fixated on the view outside her window that overlooked a gazebo that was near a cliff. She heard Ororo's high heels click against the floor softly, indicating her leave. Jean immediately started to unpack, trying to keep herself occupied.

She was about done arranging her clothes until she felt an unfamiliar presence at her doorstep. Jean whipped her head to her left and saw the boy who rode in the car with her. Scott Summers.

He was standing in the doorway, his eyes hidden by the red shades he wore. He had a small, crooked smile on his face.

Jean wondered why Scott had to wear those odd shades. They were already indoors, after all…

'_She's looking at me. She's looking at me… She's probably wondering why I have these silly shades on in the house… Why did I have to have such ridiculous powers? I wonder if all that levitating is her only power… Oh gosh, she's really pretty… Why is she staring at me like that?' _

Jean gasped slightly and shut the door in Scott's face, aware that she had accidentally stumbled into his thoughts. She then barricaded the door and continued unpacking, silent tears running down her cheeks.

* * *

**SCOTT'S POV**

Scott nearly got the shock of his life when Jean had slammed the door in his face. All he wanted to do was to welcome her. Did he really look that odd to her with those shades?

Taking the hint, he glumly walked downstairs to the living room, where the Professor and Mr. McCoy were playing chess. Both of them were looking at the set seriously, strategizing their next move.

"Professor?" Scott asked, and Charles immediately lifted his head from the game and looked at Scott.

"Yes, Scott? What is it?" he asked.

"What are Jean's powers exactly?"

Professor X immediately smiled. "Well, Scott, she's quite powerful. She is both a telepath and a telekinetic. This means not only can she manipulate minds, she can also manipulate anything around her." He explained. "Very special and very rare. But her mind is extremely fragile and unstable right now. She has not learned to control them yet so anytime her emotions overwhelm her, things might happen. Like objects flying around, her accidentally reading people's thoughts…"

Scott nodded. "But why is she so…quiet?"

Mr. McCoy and the professor chuckled lightly at the boy's question.

"Scott, not everyone can be so sociable in the beginning," Professor X said. "You know that. And Jean has a very hard time trying to control her powers. I'll have to work with her every day to keep her powers in check until she can fully control them herself and create mental barriers."

Scott raised an eyebrow. He hoped the professor would speak plain English once in a while. But now he simply nodded, understanding Jean and her powers a little better and ran to the kitchen to look for Ororo.

When Scott had reached the kitchen, he saw Jean Grey sitting at the dining table, nibbling on Ororo's casserole.

"Would you like to eat, Scott?" Ororo asked, gesturing to a small pan that had ¾ of casserole left. "It's just some meat and mushrooms if that's alright."

Scott nodded and took a seat next to Jean. He looked at her and gave her a smile which she returned. A wave of satisfaction washed over him when he saw her blush slightly.

When Ororo put the plate of casserole in front of Scott, Jean had already finished. She then levitated her plate to the sink and turned on the tap as she looked for a sponge.

"Oh Jean dear, let me do them. You don't have to…" Ororo said, running over to the little girl. "You run along and have some time to yourself."

"It's alright, Ms. Munroe…" Jean said quietly, and levitated herself a little higher so that she could reach the sink better and started to rinse her plate. "I'll do it… I don't really have anything to do anyways…"

Scott grinned at Jean. Now he knew that not only was she pretty and powerful, but also quite the good girl. Her parents must've been strict on chores in the house...

But Ororo really started to shoo Jean off when she insisted to help wash Scott's plate as well.

"Scott, why don't you take Jean for a tour?" Ororo told him, laughing lightly at Jean's insistence. "Jean, dear, I'll do the dishes. Please, just go on with Scott and have your own time."

Jean blushed furiously but nodded anyway. Scott then gently took her hand in his and led her upstairs. He could feel the travelling eyes of Professor X and Mr. McCoy when he darted up the stairs with Jean in tow.

"And this is my room. Just two doors down from yours." Scott said to Jean, gesturing to his already cluttered room. Some of his dirty clothes were scattered around the floor and his cupboard doors weren't shut. Jean giggled when she saw the small mess that made Scott's cheeks flush.

* * *

**JEAN'S POV**

Jean thought that Scott was really nice. He had showed her the Professor's prized Cerebro, the bathrooms and had been patient with her when she got fascinated by the large library and he had gotten bored with all the books. She then couldn't help but smile at Scott's boyish, messy nature after seeing all of his dirty laundry on the floor in his room.

When Scott had taken her hand again, she almost felt electrified at his warmth. Nobody had been so friendly with her before. Not even her older sister, Sara. Ever since her family had discovered her powers, they'd been quite distant with her. She was used to being quiet and shy. Something Scott obviously wasn't all too familiar with.

After that, Scott took her to the backyard, which wasn't really a yard. It had a lake and a dock… With wide open spaces carpeted by vibrant green grass and tall trees. The cool autumn breeze blowing at her bright red hair. For the first time, Jean had never felt so free and at ease that she just couldn't help but laugh.

"Thank you, Scott…" she said, finally speaking to him. Scott faced her with an expression of surprise, but smiled and nodded at her.

"You're welcome," he replied.

Jean was about to say something to Scott until a thought shot into her head.

'_Finally! I thought she'd be mute with me for the rest of my life!' _Scott's thoughts sounded in her head. Jean gasped and pulled her hand away from his. She stared at Scott and shivered. _'Oh man, why is she looking at me like that? Did she read my mind again?'_

"I-I-I'm s-sorry!" she stuttered, backing away slowly. She then started to cry softly and ran back into the Mansion. She heard Scott chasing after her, calling her name, asking her to wait. But Jean refused to stop, she felt her legs aching as she bounded up the stairs.

Jean then quickly locked herself in her room and sat on the floor as she clutched at her head. She tried breathing slowly but it was no use. Her heart thumped hard against her chest and she could feel the voices in the Mansion again, swirling in her head non-stop.

_'Oh man, I messed it up again...' 'Where are those two kids?' 'Charles better get me a rematch on the next game...' 'What happened to Jean? Why's Scott so frantic? Did something go wrong?' 'Where are they?'_

"Jean? Are you alright?" Scott asked from outside her door. He was knocking on it softly. "Jean why did you apologize? Is everything okay? Do you need the Professor?"

But she refused to respond. Suddenly, she heard a small _'zwing' _sound, a semi-loud crash and her door creaking open. Scott then rushed in and sat down in front of her.

"Are you okay?" he asked her worriedly, putting his hands on her temples.

Jean stared at her door, then at Scott.

"H-how?"

Scott tapped at his shades. "I have this…optic blast thing. That's why I need the shades." He explained. "But are you okay? Why did you apologize?"

Jean bit her quivering bottom lip as tears flowed down her cheeks rapidly. She knew that Scott was just being nice... He'd noticed that she had went into his head again.

"I'm s-so sorry… S-Scott…" she whispered. "I-It was an a-accident… I went into y-your h-h-head… Please don't be mad at me…" A few sobs escaped her lips as she whimpered softly, lowering her head.

Unexpectedly, Scott started to chuckle. Jean stared at the boy, who had clamped a hand over his mouth to hide his amusement.

"Jean, I'm not mad at you…" he said gently after he had stopped chuckling. "I know you didn't mean it… The professor said you haven't learned how to control your powers properly yet… It's okay… It's not your fault..."

"I'm sorry…" Jean said again, wiping her eyes. "I-I…just… Nobody likes having their minds read…"

Scott nodded, agreeing with that fact. "_They_ just don't understand…" he said gently, patting her shoulder as she went from crying to sniffling. He then handed her his handkerchief that he had kept in his pocket. Jean took it and wiped at her tear-stained face.

"People think I'm scary…" Jean sniffed. "My mom yells at me a lot for prying into other people's heads. My sister locks me out of her room because I accidentally found out that she'd been stealing from my dad's wallet…"

Scott then sat next to Jean and pulled her in for a half hug. "It's okay…" he murmured softly. "I don't think they really meant it…"

"I don't have any friends…" Jean continued, her voice cracking. "I can't make friends… My powers always go crazy… Things will start flying around… All of these voices… They're in my head… And they won't go away! They won't stop!"

Scott didn't say anything for a while. But then he sat in front of her again and made her look at him in the eyes by putting his hands on the sides of her face and pulling it up.

"I'll be your friend, Jean," he said cheerfully. "I don't have any either… And I understand your powers… I won't get mad at you… Plus the professor's going to help you. And... I think you're really cool."

Jean looked at Scott for awhile, scanning his eyes that were hidden behind his dark red shades. She was surprised that Scott was this understanding… But then when she saw the wide smile on the boy's face, she felt a sort of honesty behind it. Jean wanted to trust him. She wanted to believe in what he had said. But he was wrong… He didn't understand her powers. Nobody could. The professor might.

But Jean knew nobody else could ever understand how crazy her powers can get.

However Jean pushed that thought aside for awhile, and smiled at Scott.

"Thank you, Scott…" she whispered softly, as Scott gently hugged her. As she felt the warmth of him against her, Jean felt the chaos in her head slowly melting away, leaving her mind blank and at peace.

But in the back of her head, Jean couldn't get over the fact that she could still ruin everything...

* * *

**Hmm... don't suppose this counts as a cliffhanger? **

**Oh well~**

**Jeez, my chapters are getting shorter, aren't they?**

**GAHHH-WRITER'S BLOCK!**

***REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!* **

****_-Jenna_


	4. Unable

**Synopsis: **Jean Grey learns how to control her abilities with Professor X. But for some reason, things keep going wrong… Until Jean has had enough…

**3 – Unable**

**JEAN'S POV**

"Just breathe easy, Jean…" Professor X kept telling her, as she tried to focus on her mind. For the first time, the Professor was teaching her how to put up mental barriers. This way, her mind wouldn't be so easily tampered with and she could keep her privacy to herself. And with the barriers, she wouldn't wander into other people's heads so easily like she would do whenever she really lets go of all her senses. Even though Professor X had been working with her once a week for quite some time already, those visits were only to help contain her powers until she was able to control a little bit at a time.

Jean slowly inhaled and exhaled. Her eyes were closed as she sat across the Professor in the living room. Professor X had his fingers against her temples, helping to build her walls.

She felt as if there was a void in her head. A kind of emptiness that was just waiting to be filled with echoing voices that wouldn't stop. Most of the times, the voices would just wander in uninvited. But this time…everything was quiet. Peaceful. Calm. Serene...

Slowly, Jean felt as if her mind was conjuring walls… Shields… Barriers. The silence in her head had lasted much longer on her fourth try. On her first three runs, she kept hearing Ororo's thoughts about her wanting to visit her nephew, Evan. Then there was Mr. McCoy's, who was busy in the med lab, running some peculiar tests.

Finally, Scott. Jean's only friend. He kept thinking on what to read in the library. The Professor had advised him to read more-to exercise his eyes and his mind. The Professor couldn't do very much about Scott's uncontrollable optic blasts for some reason. He could only teach Scott to control the strength of his blasts instead of really taking control over it. But even though Scott tried to hide it, Jean could hear very well that he was agonizing about it.

"Good, Jean…" Professor X mused, using his telepathy to slowly help Jean conjure her barriers. "Now, just keep it that way… Don't lose focus now."

Jean squeezed her eyes shut tightly, to the point where she thought the tears in her eyes would spill out. She concentrated as hard as she could, trying to build the walls in her mind. The barriers were almost complete… Slowly filling in the gaps… The empty spaces… The voids… Only a few more puzzle pieces left!

"AHH!" Jean shrieked, and fell back into the sofa she was sitting on. There was a frightening shattering in her head, and she felt the slight security of her incomplete barriers disappear almost instantly. All that was left was a throbbing pain in the back of her head, and the slight sting in her eyes as they adjusted to the sudden light. She saw the Professor also had been slightly pushed away, his wheelchair further than it had been before. He had a thin film of perspiration over his face as he gently rubbed his temples.

"I-I'm sorry, professor!" Jean gasped, hoping that she didn't hurt the good professor.

"It's okay, Jean." Professor X said calmly, smiling weakly at her. He looked as if the barrier creating had taken out most of his energy. Was it that hard? "It's only your first few tries after all… Don't be so hard on yourself."

Jean nodded sadly, biting her lower lip that had started to quiver. The throbbing in her head had melted away. She then took in deep breaths for a couple of seconds, trying to remain the peace in her head.

"May I go?" she asked the professor, quite exhausted from the long exercises.

"Yes, of course. We'll continue in the evening, or tomorrow if you wish…" Professor said, patting her shoulder gently. "Why don't you go play with Scott? Just make sure you get some rest."

Jean nodded and bounded excitedly up the stairs. She nearly tripped on the frayed hems of her jeans as she ran but she didn't care. She was just too happy to have some time off to be with her friend.

"Scott!" she exclaimed, finally finding the shade-clad boy in the library. He was sitting in front of the burning fire place on a large single couch that his small body couldn't fill. A thick, fat novel sat on his lap. Jean ran over to her friend and sat next to him, squeezing into the remaining free space.

"Hi Jean. How did your mental training with the Professor go?" Scott asked, a smile lighting up his entire face.

Instantly, Jean's hyperactive mood dropped. "Not so good…" she mumbled. "After four tries, the Professor got really tired. So did I. I didn't know making these…barriers were so difficult!"

"It's okay…" Scott assured her. "It's only your few first tries. You'll get the hang of it. You'll probably be able to make your own mental barriers by tomorrow!"

Jean shrugged, not believing him. But she wanted to.

"So what're you reading anyway? Let me see!" Jean said, changing the subject quickly. She pawed at the book Scott was reading.

"_Narnia. _Cool! I love that series!" Jean said excitedly, and flipped through the pages. The smell of the paper calmed her in a way. As her eyes scanned the pages, her excitement doubled as she read about Prince Caspian.

"Reading's not really for me…" Scott admitted shyly, blushing slightly. "I only managed to read like, 10 pages… But I thought it was okay so far…"

Jean rolled her eyes. She then hopped off the couch, put the book aside and grabbed Scott's hand like the way he did the first day she came to the Institute.

"Come on!" she said, pulling his hand, nearly jerking him off the couch. "Let's see what else we can do here!"

Scott chuckled and let Jean drag him off.

* * *

**SCOTT'S POV**

Scott was shocked at how strong the little redhead was. She was dragging him by the hand and zipping down the stairs from the library like a lightning bolt. The way she could pull him so easily made him question her strength, and wondered if she had put some telekinetic force behind it.

But he didn't mind. Ever since he and Jean became official friends, she had been more comfortable around him. It wasn't as if she was spilling all of her deepest, darkest secrets to him but it was a good start. Scott felt lucky to have a friend as unique as Jean. Now it was if they switched roles, with Jean being the outgoing and fierce one and Scott being the quiet kid.

Now if only she could just stop tearing his arm off…

"Oh, Jean! Slow down!" Ororo gasped, when Jean had turned into a corridor and nearly knocked into Ororo Munroe. The young, white-haired weather witch chuckled at Jean who had stopped.

"Sorry Ororo!" she squeaked. "Do you know anywhere cool Scott and I can hang out?"

Ororo smiled at the two nine-year-old mutants and she gestured to the door leading outside of the Mansion.

"Mr. McCoy's helping to sweep up the fallen autumn leaves. Why don't you help him?" she suggested. "Jump into a leaf mountain or something."

At that, Jean transformed into Speedy Gonzalez again, yanking Scott's hand, nearly making him fly as she ran towards the door.

"Mr. McCoy!" Jean called out to the gentle blue beast, who was raking up the golden leaves that had fallen. Mr. McCoy turned towards the children and waved.

"Good evening Jean, Scott," he said, raking up a good, tall pile. "Care to help?"

Jean was silent for a second, and let go of Scott's hand. She then squinted at the autumn leaves that were scattered all over the ground.

Suddenly, the leaves started to levitate into the air. Scott watched in awe as the leaves swirled around the air and gathered together. He then saw Jean concentrating hard on getting the leaves to collect on Mr. McCoy's leaf pile.

"You're getting better at your telekinesis, Jean." Mr. McCoy said, beaming as he put away his rake. He then walked over to the giant leaf pile and grinned at the two mutants.

"Now who wants first jump into the pile?" he asked.

Before Scott could respond, Jean had already propelled herself forward, flinging herself into the pile of leaves. Her small body sunk and disappeared into the pile, creating a small leaf tsunami. Scott couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Jean happily playing with the leaves as if she hadn't got a single worry.

But Scott knew that Jean was still upset about failing her mental barrier exercises, and was just simply looking for a distraction. But he cast that thought aside when he saw Jean wave at him with two hands, flapping them like a chicken. Scott then laughed and jumped into the leaf pile with Jean, spraying dried autumn leaves at Mr. McCoy.

After a few seconds of good autumn fun, Jean flopped onto the leafy ground, exhausted. She giggled as some leaves fell on her face and she tried to blow them off. Scott then laid on the ground next to her as well.

For a while, Scott couldn't keep his eyes off Jean. He had never seen her laugh or smile this much even though they had only known each other a couple of days. She had always been so shy and meek… Now she was laughing and smiling as golden leaves fell around her.

"This. Is. Awesome!" Jean exclaimed, enunciating each word to emphasize her point. She then turned around to face Scott. "Don't you agree?"

Scott nodded quietly, trying to figure out what to say…

* * *

**JEAN'S POV**

Jean was feeling extraordinarily happy that evening when she had leapt into a leaf pile with Scott. The golds, reds, oranges and yellows of autumn made her feel…free, in a way. The chilly autumn wind played with her long red hair and raised goose bumps on her skin despite her wearing a decent sweater.

She was especially happy about being able to not hear other people's thoughts. Instead, she was relaxed and calm and was having a good, uninterrupted time with her friend.

But even the sweetness of the moment couldn't erase the heaviness in her heart when she wasn't able to create her mental barriers. Deep within her, she was terrified that she wouldn't be able to control her powers… Like she was a detonator…just waiting to let hell break loose.

"C'mon Jean, let's go inside, it's getting really cold out here…" Scott had said after a few minutes of silence, with only the _frush-_ing sounds of the leaves blowing in the wind. Jean nodded and got up, followed by Scott. But before they entered the Mansion again, Jean turned to clean up the scattered leaves. Squinting her eyes again at the leaves, she concentrated on the energy that was around each leaf, beckoning them to gather into a pile again.

This time, the leaves swirled around the air for the second time, but because Jean was a little tired, the execution was quite rickety. But she had managed to pile the leaves up neatly, earning a heartfelt thanks from Mr. McCoy.

After they had washed up, Ororo made them hot chocolate in the kitchen. Mr. McCoy had been called to Professor Xavier's office for some odd reason. Jean toyed with the tiny marshmallows with her spoon that floated on her hot chocolate while Scott gulped it all down in an instant, trying to get as much warmth in his body as possible.

"You seem to be doing well, Jean." Ororo observed, as she washed Scott's mug. "Are you more comfortable at the Institute now?"

Jean nodded. "Yes… Thanks, Ororo… It's more peaceful than…home…" Jean said softly, sipping on her hot drink. The sweet chocolate liquid flowed down her throat and the heat of it spread to her entire body, tingling her toes. "I don't hear as much voices anymore…"

"That's good," the weather-witch said. "Oh, and the Professor wishes to have one last telepathy exercise with you before bed. Is that alright?"

"Oh, yes, yes." Jean said quickly, wanting to accomplish something with her powers even though she was quite worn out. "I'll do it now. Where is he?"

Ororo smiled at the redhead and gestured to the door with her head. "In his office. You know where that is."

"Alright." Jean replied, hopping off her seat. She then waved at Ororo and Scott before darting out of the kitchen.

* * *

Professor X had once again placed his fingers against Jean's temples, both of them had their eyes closed. Jean was sitting on a black chair facing the Professor, her legs dangling off the edge.

_*Alright Jean, now I need you to relax, focus and concentrate on your center.* _Professor X said to her telepathically. _*Really focus on building a barrier around your mind. You want to shield yourself from telepathic attacks… You want to shield the chaos of the world from entering your mind…"_

Jean took in long, deep breaths, relaxing herself. Her muscles loosened greatly as she squeezed her eyes tightly and tried to create her walls again. But she could hear a few distant voices echoing in her head.

'_Maybe I should wait… But I'm so tired… No, I'll wait…' 'Oh what a day! So much leaves to rake up!' 'Winter's coming… Maybe I should visit Vivian and Evan…' 'What to do tomorrow…' 'Argh! Hot! Hot! Hot!' _

Jean tried to dispose of the voices, as she felt her barriers very slowly building itself in her head telepathically. One by one, the voices started to fade away and disappear. She felt a slight block in her mind… Like clinging roots, stretching out and growing… A kind of force gently shielded her mind, blocking out all the voices…

_*That's it, Jean… You're doing it…* _the professor sent to her. _*Now, close the shield carefully… Don't lose focus…*_

Jean bit her lip as she felt beads of perspiration roll down her forehead. Sealing the barrier was extremely difficult. As if the barrier had a mind of its own and had refused to close. It wanted to be kept open. To be invaded and searched. It wanted to listen to others. It demanded the chaos...

Jean's nails dug into the upholstery of her seat, nearly piercing through the chair. Every single muscle in her body coiled up tightly as she tried hard. She then remembered the professor's advice and took deep, slow breaths to calm herself. But the shield was barely closing.

'_Come on… Close…' _Jean thought to herself, trying to keep her thoughts to herself inside her head. _'Seal up… Breathe… Listen… Close… Close… CLOSE…CLOSE!'_

Suddenly, Jean let out a shriek and a slight jolt of power emanated from her mind, shattering the near-complete barrier. The quick burst of power threw the professor back slightly, and Jean felt her chair thump against the wall as she flashed open her eyes, gasping for air. Her chest rose and fell quickly with shallow breaths.

"I'm sorry, professor!" Jean said quickly, as she ran towards the handicapped telepath. "Are you alright?"

When Professor X had regained his usual composure, he smiled at Jean. "Yes, dear, I'm very much alright… And it's okay… You just need some time…"

Jean nodded sadly and walked out of the office, leaving the Professor to think.

* * *

**SCOTT'S POV**

Scott wondered when Jean would be done with the professor. She had been gone for over an hour already. He waited in her room on her bed, with Narnia in hand.

When he heard the doorknob turn, he shot up from the bed and put the book on the bedside table as Jean entered the room. But she had a somber expression on her face. Her brows were knit together into a deep frown and her lips slightly pouted.

"Hi Jean!" Scott said cheerfully, attempting to liven her spirits. "How'd it go?"

Jean sighed heavily and flopped onto her bed, burying herself underneath her sheets.

"Bad," she whimpered, hugging her pillow close to her chest, absorbing its warmth. "I nearly threw the professor off his wheelchair! And I think I knocked my head here on the wall quite a bit…" Jean then rubbed the back of her head gently, before resuming to clutching her pillow.

Scott frowned, and clambered onto the bed with her. He shoved his legs into her sheets and gently stroked her head, at the spot where she said she had bumped. He heard Jean sigh again, and a few sniffles escaped her.

"It's okay…" he said soothingly. "It wasn't your fault… You just need some time… At least you didn't hurt yourself or the professor. Both of you are still fine… Don't worry yourself so much…" Scott continued to stroke her head, feeling the silky softness of her bright red hair.

Scott could feel that Jean was crying softly. Her shoulders had started to shake and her whole body began to quiver. Her sniffling then doubled as she curled herself up into a ball.

"You d-don't understand, Scott…" Jean whispered, her voice cracking slightly. "You just don't understand… How I feel…"

Scott felt a pang of sadness in his heart when Jean had said that. He thought he understood her enough to know that she was disappointed with herself even though it wasn't really her fault. His heart simply ached for his friend as he waited until Jean fell asleep. Soon after, he too, slept next to her, vowing to always be there for his friend… Always keeping her company.

* * *

**JEAN'S POV**

Jean felt moved when she found out that Scott had stayed with her throughout the night. As she tried not to wake him, she got up from bed and went to take a hot bath. Jean felt relaxed as the warm water enveloped her into a state of peace. For once she woke up with no chaos in her mind.

But she just couldn't stop thinking about how she kept failing at her telepathic exercises with the professor.

Before breakfast, Jean decided to visit the professor. She didn't find him in the kitchen, the library or the living room, so she headed for his office.

But as she approached, she heard voices. Not the ones that stumbled into her head, but actual voices that were coming from inside the office. The door was only partly closed as Jean leaned in towards the gap. Jean could make out Ororo and Mr. McCoy's voices.

And finally, the Professor.

"What are you saying; she's having a difficult time with her powers?" Ororo questioned, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "You cannot give up on her Charles!"

"I'm not, Ororo…" Professor X said, sighing heavily. "But her mind is truly unstable. Everything is chaotic and restless in her head… That is the reason she hasn't been able to shield her thoughts. And she is still so young, it is more difficult for her."

Jean bit her quivering lower lip, trying not to cry out loud.

"So what're you going to do, Charles?" Mr. McCoy asked worriedly. "We can't just give up on the poor girl. Maybe she needs a bit more practice."

"She needs more than a bit, Hank…" Professor X said. "She needs intensive work mentally and emotionally. I'm thinking that maybe her emotions have been scarred from her traumatic experience of getting her powers. And I think that is also the cause of her being unable to control her powers properly. I'm afraid I might have to really dig deep into her subconscious… Just to help her."

Jean placed her hands on her shaking head, tears running down her cheeks. Her body shook mercilessly as she crumpled onto the floor quietly. Her heart ached as thoughts began pouring into her head endlessly.

'_Where's Jean? I better shower…' 'Her emotions are really getting in the way… I have to insist her on taking more intensive exercises…' 'Poor girl… So young and already carrying so much…' 'I hope she'll be able to handle it…' 'Where are Scott and Jean? They should be awake by now…' 'Should I tell her about this now?'_

Jean ran away from the office, hot tears pouring down her face. Voices echoing in her head and never stopping. Her bare feet slapped against the cold floors painfully.

She just couldn't take it anymore… She was unable to handle any more pain… She was unable to continue causing so much trouble for Ororo… Mr. McCoy… the Professor… Scott…

Jean decided that she had had enough…

* * *

_**How's this chapter? Hope ya'll enjoyed it. I know I enjoyed writing it. Slightly longer than the others this time. But still a quick one. **_

_**Don't forget to R&R!**_

_-Jenna_


	5. Always

**Note: **Would like to give a big thank you hug to _penspot _for being the first reviewer on my little piece here! Thousands of thank yous, I really appreciated your time to read this.

**5 – Always**

**SCOTT'S POV**

Scott had gotten worried about Jean that morning. When he woke up, she wasn't in bed. He guessed that she must've woken up early because her bathroom was still warm and misty. But when he went to the kitchen, she wasn't there. Nor was she in the library. Or the living room.

He couldn't ask the professor for help because he and Ororo had gone to New Jersey for awhile. It was only Mr. McCoy in the Mansion, and he was busy doing his odd experiments in the med lab again. Scott didn't want to bother him so he decided to just look for Jean on his own.

Why didn't she say anything about leaving? Maybe she was hiding somewhere? Maybe she needed time alone? Jean could've done _something _instead of just disappearing so abruptly.

Scott then put on a small parka and went out to the front yard. _'Winter was definitely coming.' _He thought, shivering slightly when a gust of cold wind hit him when he opened the door. Making his way out, walking on the stone path, he couldn't help but think about all the recent events that had happened so quickly in so little time…

He had obtained his powers… _'Adopted' _by the Professor… Met Jean Grey… Made his first friend in an extremely long time…

It felt as if time was passing too quickly for Scott Summers. He wanted to really live in the moment while he was still walking on Earth, instead of letting memories brush by him.

But living in that moment, Scott still couldn't find any trace of the redhead telepath/telekinetic. The only redhead he saw were the small piles of autumn red leaves on the ground.

"Where are you, Jean?" Scott whispered into the wind, hoping that it would carry his message to his friend.

* * *

**JEAN'S POV**

Jean was hiding behind a large, balding shrub, crying to herself. Her face was buried in her knees and her arms were wrapped around her legs. She was in so much heartache that she didn't even bother about the freezing autumn wind that stabbed at her skin painfully. Ever since she had overheard the conversation between the Professor, Ororo and Mr. McCoy, Jean had just darted out of the house without putting on any warm clothes. She just hid outside, in her favorite but thin dark green, long-sleeved sweater and a pair of thin, frayed jeans. Her bare feet felt scratchy against the dry grass she was sitting on.

"I'm nothing but trouble…" she whispered hoarsely to herself. The cold wind she'd been breathing had dried up her throat. Everything inside her felt so drained. She knew that she was causing a lot of stress to the professor… She knew because she'd heard it. And that made her heart ache all that more.

'_Where is she? Crap I hope she's okay…' 'I wonder what would happen if these two would combine…' 'Damn that little prick, blocking the roads!' 'So cold… So very cold…' 'What are those kids up to?' 'Not here… Not here… Definitely not here…' 'Maybe I could sneak out at four…' 'Shit! Where did I put them?'_

Jean covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out all the voices that ran through her head. Now not only were the thoughts coming from the people in the Mansion, but also from the humans outside! Jean whimpered softly. She didn't want to be found. She knew she couldn't be helped. Everything was getting out of control. Out of _her _control…

Jean groaned painfully as she tried to block out the thoughts in her head. With long but shallow breaths, she tried to calm herself down before she started hyperventilating. With all her strength, she attempted to build the mental barriers on her own. Ignoring the sharp cold wind pressing against her body and seeping through her clothing, Jean concentrated hard, her eyes shut and her breathing getting more stable.

Slowly, she felt the voices fading… Softening… Quieting down… Disappearing… Melting away into the clear void of her mind. Satisfied, Jean dug deeper, reaching into the subconscious part of her mind. The Professor had mentioned that her emotions got in the way of her control, so she decided to wipe away the pain that she stored. Decided to erase all the pain…

Jean recalled the day that she had gotten her powers… _She and her family were in the car… Her dad was driving… They were coming home from a trip to Michigan. Sara was in the backseat with her, laughing and singing along to Westlife with their mother. Jean was happy. Her family was happy. Normal. _

_Until an incoming car in the opposite direction began to swerve, avoiding a dog that was crossing the road. It was a dark green jeep. The jeep skidded across the road uncontrollably, and was heading towards the Greys' family car, about to kill them..._

_Jean and Sara let out a scream as their dad tried to stop or turn the car. Then she had a sudden stabbing pain in her head. Suddenly, she felt something explode from her mind, and the jeep was overthrown. Everything went by at the speed of light. Jean heard something crash onto the road. She felt her car jolt to a sudden, screeching stop. Elaine and John turned around to look at their children. Sara had a small cut on her forehead, while Jean was crying, clutching at her head, pleading at the voices to leave her alone. _

_Then the car started to levitate, voices started entering her mind uncontrollably without stopping. Jean started screaming as cars and objects around her started to float up into the air. Elaine was yelling at John. Sara was screaming, as she attempted to get out of the car. But all the doors had somehow locked themselves._

_Even the jeep that had been overthrown was lifted into the air, the driver hanging out of the broken door. He was fine, and managed to escape onto the ground without any major injuries. The driver had escaped the scene as Jean, her family, their car and everything else around them except the ground and the houses levitated in the air. _

_Jean let out another shriek, and everything crashed onto the ground. Jean knocked her head against her mother's seat, and fell unconscious. _

"No… It's all over…"Jean gasped to herself, as she tried to shove that horrible memory away. The day when she got her powers, when her parents and sister had been injured badly… Police reports all over the news regarding the strange happenings…

Jean tried to block them out, she tried with every fiber in her being to shield her mind from that terrifying incident. But she couldn't. The pain nagged at her. The voices returned again and drowned out her own thoughts. The memories spilled over the brim of her chaotic mind as she stood up from the ground, clutching at her head. A new kind of pain struck her from the back of her head, knocking her to her knees. Jean bit her lower lip, trying not to scream as hot tears spilled down her cheeks without stopping.

"Stop it…" she sobbed. "Stop… Please…" Jean got up again, her legs weak and barely holding up her weight. She kept swaying back and forth, trying to keep her balance. Her feet stumbled over the ground, as she made her way towards the dock.

"Stop it… _Stop it… STOP… _LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Within seconds, a loud scream escaped her lips, and the last things she heard were her screaming, her cries, a horrible, shattering sound echoing in her head, hundreds of voices all jumbled up…

And then, nothing… Jean's entire world turned black as a cold force wrapped around her, engulfing her instantly.

* * *

**SCOTT'S POV**

"Jean?" Scott gasped suddenly, whipping his head around. He had heard a loud scream while he was sitting on the front porch of the Mansion. Scott had decided to take a break after looking for Jean everywhere. The last place he had searched was the backyard, but he still couldn't find her. But after a few minutes of his break, he suddenly heard a familiar, female scream coming from the back yard.

Without any hesitation, Scott shot up from his seat and darted towards the backyard. His legs were aching as he ran faster than he ever did in his life. When he reached the back yard, nobody was there.

"JEAN? JEAN!" Scott called, cupping his hands over his mouth. "WHERE ARE YOU?" The boy ran around the wide yard, his eyes darting from left to right. "JEAN!"

Suddenly, something caught the young mutant's eye. To his left, towards the nearby lake and the dock, was a glimpse of red, even though everything to him was washed red, he could see this red was more distinct that his surroundings. With fear clouding over him, he walked briefly towards the lake.

To his horror, Scott saw Jean. His shock fogged his mind as he tried to register what he was seeing.

Jean was in the lake. Her eyes were closed. Her body was floating slightly on the cold water. She was unconscious.

"JEAN! NO!" Scott screamed, and ran towards the lake. He immediately jumped into the freezing cold lake, not caring at how the icy water stabbed into him instantly like knives, nearly sending him into shock. With all his strength, he grabbed Jean and pulled her up, desperately getting her to dry ground. Once they were both on dry land, he took off his parka and wrapped it around Jean, pulling her into his arms as he started cry.

"MR. MCCOY!" he shrieked, facing the Mansion. "HELP! SOMEBODY!" The boy tried to carry Jean, but his legs kept giving out as he kept his parka around her, trying to warm her up as fast as possible. He then looked back at Jean, coughing and sniffling. Every two seconds, he would turn towards the Mansion to scream for Mr. McCoy.

"Jean? Jean! Wake up! _Wake up_! Please!" he cried, shaking her. But Jean's head just kept falling from one side to the other numbly. Her limbs were limp.

"Jean, come on…" Scott begged pleadingly. "Please wake up… You can't leave… Y-You can't!" He then tried to get water out of her lungs, ignoring the fact that her skin had almost turned as blue as Mr. McCoy's fur.

Scott struck her back a couple of times, and tried everything. Pushing away his tiredness, he continued trying to revive the unconscious girl.

"JEAN! WAKE UP!" he yelled hoarsely, his throat feeling sandy and raw.

Suddenly, Jean spat out some water, and she started coughing and gasping for air. Overjoyed, Scott hugged his friend tightly, warming up her body.

"Oh my God, Jean!" he gasped, holding her. "I-I thought y-you w-were d-d-dead!"

Jean coughed out some more water, and turned to face Scott. Suddenly, her eyes widened with horror and she turned towards the lake.

"S-Scott, l-let me g-g-go!" she cried weakly, shivering and struggling to escape his hold on her. "I-I-I can't t-take it anymore! I-I h-have t-to go!"

"NO!" Scott yelled, holding her tighter. "You can't! You won't! Please don't do that!"

But Jean flailed around, Scott could tell that she was too tired to use her telekinesis against him, but with the way she was hitting him and how the cold wind stabbed his skin through his shirt was weakening him greatly.

"L-LET ME GO!" Jean shrieked. "I-I can't do this a-anymore! I'm a disaster! I-I'm good for nothing! I'm n-nothing!" She then started to cry uncontrollably, as the water from the lake floated into the air. Scott watched in shock as the autumn leaves started flying around. The lake water hovered over the dock in mid-air. He felt Jean's shivering body and kept his arms around her.

"Jean…" Scott said as calmly as possible, as the little girl wept. "Please… Don't go… Don't leave me… Breathe, Jean… You can do it… You don't have to…" Scott couldn't get his last word out, fearing it so. But with all the strength that he had left, he mustered it out. "You don't have to die…"

"Nobody can help me!" Jean sobbed, as she stopped struggling. "I'm dangerous… I can't be trusted! I can't control anything… The professor can't help me! You j-just don't u-understand!"

"I _DO_ UNDERSTAND!" Scott yelled, almost angrily. Heated tears ran down his cheeks, falling onto Jean's right shoulder as he tried to look at her tired face. "Don't you _dare_ tell me I don't understand! I've lost _everything_, Jean! My parents… My brother! I can't lose you too! You're my best friend. Do you hear me? I _can't_ lose you! I don't _want_ to lose you!"

But Jean just kept crying. "I h-hate my powers…" she whispered. "I-I can't control them… My parents hate me… My sister hates me… The professor can't help me… I-I have nothing… N-nothing…"

"Don't you dare give up!" Scott told her fiercely. He then turned her around, making her look at him. His hands grabbed hers, he flinched at how cold her hands were. "You have me. You're my best friend, Jean… I'm here… The Professor _can _help you… I'll help you… Mr. McCoy and Ororo can help you…You can't give up so quickly… You have me, Jean… Always."

When Scott said that, Jean burst out into a wailing sob and fell into Scott's arms, shivering from the cold.

"It's okay…" he whispered soothingly, stroking her hair. He then heard the levitating lake water fall back to its proper place. The once floating autumn leaves fell around them. "It's okay… I'll always be here Jean… Always…"

After a few seconds, Scott heard someone approaching quickly. He turned his head slightly and saw a worried Mr. McCoy running towards them. He smiled weakly at the kind beast and turned towards Jean again, who had managed to stop crying.

"Let's go, Jean…" he told her gently. "Let's go..."

* * *

**JEAN'S POV**

When Jean had woken up, her whole body was aching. She was on her bed, with a few heating pads around her. The warmth felt good against her skin. Jean then slowly sat up, rubbing her temples.

"Hello, Jean…" Professor X said, wheeling into her room. "How're you feeling? Are you alright?"

Jean took a second before answering the professor. She noticed that her mind was empty. Clear. No voices, no chaos… Everything was calm.

"I'm fine, professor… I'm sorry…" she whispered softly, wrapping her blanket around herself. "Is Scott okay?"

"He's fine…" the professor said. "He's doing much better than you were. You suffered a mild hypothermia… But your mutation and powers enabled you to return quickly. And please, don't' apologize Jean… If anyone should apologize, it should be me… I should've told you more about your powers… And why you were having such a hard time… I shouldn't have been so hard on you."

Jean then got off the bed and wrapped her arms around the professor.

"I'm sorry, Professor…" she whispered, choking back tears. "I… I just… don't…"

"I know, Jean…" Professor X answered, gently stroking the young girl's back. "It's alright… But right now, you need time to rest."

Jean pulled away, nodding. She then climbed back into her warm bed, covering herself with her blanket as the professor turned to leave.

_*Thank you so much, professor…* _Jean said to Charles telepathically. The telepath on the wheelchair then turned slightly to smile at Jean.

_*You're very welcome, Jean dear…* _he replied. _*Don't ever give up on yourself… Or think that you're alone…*_

And with that being said, the professor left Jean's room. She was about to go back to sleep until she saw a familiar figure standing at her door.

"Scott…" she breathed, smiling at the boy. Scott smiled back and ran towards her. He then flung his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Jean…" he said softly. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you…"

"I'm so sorry, Scott…" she replied, returning his hug. "I didn't know any better. I'm so sorry for making you worry…"

"Don't ever think like that anymore, you understand?" Scott said to her sharply, pulling back to look at her. "You _know _very well that you're not alone. You're my best friend, Jean… I never, ever, _ever _want to lose you…"

Jean's eyes widened slightly. "You…don't think I'm dangerous? You're not afraid of my powers? Of me?"

Scott shook his head and blushed slightly. "No… I actually think you're really pretty." He said shyly. "You're also fun to be around and kind… I'm not afraid of you… Or your powers… The only thing I'm afraid now is you trying to do something stupid…"

The redhead telepath then wrapped his arms around Scott's neck tightly, silent but happy tears rolling down her face.

* * *

**SCOTT'S POV**

"I want to do something, Scott…" Jean said when she pulled away from their embrace. Scott looked at her questioningly.

"What?"

Jean was silent. She then placed her hands on his shades, picking them up. But Scott immediately grabbed her by the wrists, stopping her.

"Jean. No." he said softly, knowing that he could instantly kill her just by opening his eyes. "I can't…"

"Trust me, Scott…" she said quietly, smiling softly at him.

"I could kill you…" Scott whispered, his fear rising to his chest, making his heart ache again. "Please, Jean."

But she was insistent on getting his shades off. "Scott," she said firmly. "Trust me…"

Finally, he relented. Scott dropped his hands to his sides and Jean carefully took his shades off. But he had his eyes squeezed shut.

"Open your eyes," Jean ordered gently.

Hesitantly, Scott slowly opened them. At first, he still saw his world with tinged red. But slowly, he felt the energy of his optic blasts calm down. As if the pressure on his eyes had disappeared. The warmth of his powers had melted away.

And Jean was still sitting in front of him, a smile on her face. She was still alive. He wasn't destroying anything...

Before Scott could say anything, he could see colors. Slowly, everything revealed itself. The wash of red had vanished and he could see all the different colors in Jean's room. He looked out the window and saw balding trees. The brown of the wood, the clear blue-grey of the lake waters, the golds and reds of the autumn leaves… The light pale blue of the skies… The white of the fluffy clouds…

"Jean…" he gasped, staring back at the girl in front of him. But Jean simply grinned at him.

And then Scott finally _saw _Jean.

Even though he knew her hair was red, he didn't know it was so vibrant in color. It was long and bright crimson that fell effortlessly over her shoulders. Her skin was fair peaches and cream and her eyes were like two emeralds set in ivory that contrasted with her hair. Scott thought he was going to melt when he saw her blush colored smile.

"Jean…" he breathed again, reaching out to her. But Jean put his hand away and hugged him.

"I wanted to see your eyes… So I just neutralized your powers with mine temporarily…" she murmured softly against his shoulder. "They're so blue, Scott…"

"T-Thank you…" Scott whispered, feeling tears welling up in his eyes. He then pulled her back just to look at her again. "Thank you so much…"

Jean smiled at him sweetly. "You're welcome…"

After a few minutes of enjoying his 'sight', Scott had put his shades back on and allowed the heat and pressure of his optic blasts flow back into his eyes as Jean dropped the neutralization. But he didn't care anymore, he had seen more than enough.

Scott felt so much more relieved when he was assured that Jean was alright. He watched over her as she tried to get some rest. She'd fallen asleep much easier given all that she had been through that day.

"I wish you could see how special you are, Jean…" he whispered softly to her, when he knew that Jean had fallen asleep. Her breathing was deep and calm, her body still and warm as it was. "Because I sure do…"

Scott couldn't understand why Jean could ever think that she was nothing. To him, especially at that moment, she was everything.

She was his best friend.

"I'll always be there for you, Jean… I promise…" Scott vowed, as he gently stroked her silky soft hair that was the ravishing bright crimson color as he remembered.

Without another word, Scott leaned down and placed a small, gentle kiss on her head as he placed his head on her pillow and resumed stroking her hair before finally whispering one last thing to his best friend.

"I love you, Jean."

* * *

**_Ahh... such a fluffy piece eh? Young love~Well, not yet. This is simply friendship love. (_) _**

**_But nevertheless, I really hope ya'll enjoyed reading it~_**

**_And nope, this ain't the end. One short chap'r comin' up pretty much now... _**

**__**_-Jenna_


	6. Finally

**6 – Finally**

**GENERAL POV**

"Charles? Is everything alright?" Ororo asked Professor X, who had been sitting outside of Jean Grey's open bedroom door. He had a small smile on his face as he watched his two young mutants sleeping soundly on Jean's bed.

"I was just curious…" Professor X told the white-haired weather witch, who was also smiling at the two mutant children.

Ororo leaned herself against the wall with her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the professor observe the children.

"About?"

Professor X leaned one elbow on the arm of his wheelchair, as if he was thinking.

"Jean. Something's changed…" he said, looking at the redhead fondly.

Ororo raised an eyebrow questioningly. "I'm afraid I don't understand, Professor…" she said, trying to figure out what the telepath meant. "Jean's still Jean… Less suicidal, I admit but still…"

Professor X chuckled lightly. "It's not that Ororo… I can't enter her mind." He said finally, looking up at Ororo.

"What do you mean… You can't enter her mind?" she asked, both her eyebrows raised in surprise. "Did something happen to her powers?"

"More or less…" Professor X replied. "Her thoughts have been shielded. There's a mental barrier. A mental barrier that I did _not _create."

Ororo sucked in a quick breath. "That means…"

"She's done it…" Hank McCoy cut in, interrupting the two. He had overheard the conversation and decided to join in. "Jean has finally managed to gain some control."

"Not some, Hank…" the professor said. "Before her mind was shielded, I managed to take in a quick look. Her emotions are much more stable now… Her mind is completely calm and at ease. Most of her subconscious pain has been more or less removed. She has managed to take control of her abilities, both telepathically and telekinetically." When he said that, Charles couldn't help but grin widely, overjoyed at his student's accomplishment.

"Most?" Ororo and Hank both questioned at once.

The Professor nodded. "Young Jean has a lot more to learn. But she has not evolved yet… Soon, she _will _face much more adversaries concerning her powers. But for now, it is safe to say that Jean Grey has never been so at peace with herself and her powers…"

Hank smiled. "We have Scott to thank for that… The boy truly cares deeply for Jean despite their short meeting."

Ororo rolled her eyes slightly. "They're both misunderstood mutants, Hank… Any mutant could care for Jean or Scott the same way."

But Hank shook his head, waving a finger at the coffee-skinned mutant. "Oh no, I know this. Scott and Jean definitely have a special bond between them, don't you agree, Charles?"

Ororo then raised her eyebrow again at the professor, who had started to laugh lightly.

"Yes, Ororo, I might have to agree with Hank on this one… Scott has made it very clear that he truly and honestly cares for Jean." He explained, tapping his temple. "It's quite a bond they have given they've only known each other a couple of days. But I believe that they will be very good for each other. Not only at this present, but in the future as well."

Ororo rolled her eyes again, with a smirk on her face. "Alright, alright you two. Let the children have some peace…" she said as she closed Jean's room door. "All that matters now is that Jean is finally able to control her abilities. Let's go before they wake up from all this talking."

The Professor laughed and wheeled off, with Hank and Ororo following behind him. All the while, Charles Xavier couldn't stop thinking about his two young mutants, and how they've come from being alone and misunderstood, to having found each other and ended up with such peace. He began to feel as if they were his own children. And in a way, they were. As he left the dormitory corridor, Charles vowed to himself that he would protect his mutant children, no matter how many there are, and no matter where they choose to go.

But little did he know, that Jean Grey had heard the Professor outside her door. She knew that Scott cared for her. And she cared for him the same way. As the redhead closed her eyes to drift back to sleep, a soft whisper escaped her lips before returning to the most peaceful slumber she'd had in months, knowing that if she woke up, she would not be terrorized or invaded by voices and thoughts. As well as the pain she'd suffered.

"Finally…"

* * *

_**Aw... it's already the end? Even I'm asking myself that question...**_

_**Quite short, but as you can see, quite fluffy as well. ;)**_

_**I absolutely enjoyed every second writing and editing this like a maniac. I bet that I'm gonna dream about this later. I hope you enjoyed this FF as much as I did!**_

_**Till the next FF, R&R!**_

_****-Jenna_


End file.
